Fish trap for fish lifts



Dec. 21, 1937.

L. E. KNERR FISH TRAP FOR FISH LIFTS Filed May 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -1 i: "n f [ma] 5 l I l L /5 Effi-ESE lli ig. I 553:22 :il: g I 11i" y mmmmnEu-uj 1a/enforww 7l/nerr Patented Dec. 21, 1937 UNITED STATE-s vPA'rENT oFFicE 2,102,629 FisH TRAP Fon FISH LIFTs v Lewis E. Knerr, Portland, Oreg., assgnor tothe Government of the United States of America,

represented by the Secretary of War Application May z5, 1937, serial No. 144,617

Claims.

(Cl. (i1-21) V(Granted under the actv of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) lock construction for transferringmigratory fish over a dam structure, more especially it is directed to a fish trap mounted on a fish lift and adapted to coact with the entrance portal of a fish lock toprevent return of the fish through the entrance `portal after the fishhave entered the lock.

One object of this invention is to provide a fish trap adapted to be mounted upon a lift operating in a shlock, the trap coacting with the entrance portal to the lock to present thereto a series of wide-mouthed passages converging to a restricted opening through which the fish may pass into the lock, the dimensions of the restricted passages being such as to prevent the return of the sh to the ,entrance portal.V Y

Another object of this invention is to provide a fish trap adapted to ascend and descend the inner surface of theV downstream wall of fish lock in fixed relation 'to said surface, while permitting tilting of the fish lift to aid discharge of the fish at the edge of the portal.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fish trap having facilities to provide a yieldable fish screen between the top and bottom of the fish trap, the screen being mounted so as to compensate for any variations in wall contour which may eXist along the path of the travel of the fish trap as the lift ascends and descends the lock.

Another object of this invention is to provide Va spring'actuated fish screen in connection with the `top and bottom of the fish trap, the screen being Y automatically operable to screening position when the trapV is operatively disposed with respect to the fish entrance of the lock.

With these and other objects in View this invention consists in certain novel details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be more particularly hereinafter described and claimed. Y

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding parts are indicated by similar reference characters:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective partly in elevation and partly in section and illustrating the fish trap mounted upon the fish lift and operatively disposed with respect to the entrance portal of a fish lock, and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse fish lock construction illustrating the relationship of fishA lift, sh trap and entrance portal to the lock.

In the `illustrated embodiment characterizing this invention (I) indicatesa fish lock, (2) the downstream wall of the lock, (3) an entrance portal in the downstream wall, (Il) adjustable units Vof a segmental weil", certain of the units being provided' with cut-out portions to form an opening (5), which establishes communication between the entrance bay (6) and the interior of thelockl (I), said opening being closed by a movable bar (l) ,as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. A sh lift (8) operatesin the lock between the entrance opening (5)k and the exit opening of the lock-(not shown). Y

The fish lift (8) is provided with a plurality of yroller carriers (Q) pivotally attached to iishlift (8) by pins (I0), the roller carriers (9) being adapted to engage suitable rails such as I-beams I and upstream walls of the lock respectively, as-

shown in Fig. l2. 'I he spaced relationship between the roller carriers (9) andthe I-beams Y( i i) and (I2) 'is preferably such that the fish lift (8) may be given a position of rlimited,Obliquity except at its extreme lower limit of travel when it may assume a substantially horizontal position, as indicated in dotted outline in Fig.'2.

The fish lift (8) is preferably floored with a grille structure (I3) the individual bars of which are sufficiently spaced to' prevent the passage therethrough of adult fish. These bars are preferably placed in a directioncoinciding with the slope of the fish lift. Fish lift (8) is suspended by means of a cable (it) which passes over roller mechanism (I5) and is operated by suitable power driven means (not shown).

Mounted on fish lift V(8) is a fish trap (I6), adapted to be vertically movable along the inside face of the downstream wall (2) of the lock. A plurality of rollers (Il) are attached to the framework of the fish trap (I6) and adapted to engage the I-beams (I I) and (I2) to maintain'the'vertical alignment of the sh trap structure (I6). The weight of the fish trap structure is supported on fish lift (8) by means of an interposed roller (I8). Fish trap (I6) is also provided with pairs of wallsV (I9), which convergefro-m the entrance portal of the lock and terminate in restricted apertures (20) which are of a Width to permit the passage therethrough of Vadult fish, The converging walls (i9) are provided with a floor structure (2U) and a ceiling structure (2l) and are in the form of a suitable grille construction to bar the passage therethrough of adult sh. The floor` (2B) and the ceiling (2|) of the fish trap are augmented by a pair of horizontally hinged spring loaded grilles (22) each of which is provided with suitable guide rollers (23).

The purpose of the hinged grilles or barriers (22) is to maintain a sh screen between the top and bottom of sh trap I6) and the inside face of the downstream wall of the sh lock structure, without regard to variations in the wall contour such as that which exists along the Zone of transition from the wall to the segmental gate'units` (4) located immediately adjacent the entrance portal.

In conclusion, it will be manifest Yfrom the preceding structural outline that when the sh lift has been operatively disposed with respect to the 'entrance opening (5) the fish trap will present a pair of converging passages formed by walls (I9) which will direct the iish tc and through the restricted passages 29), and into the lock (i). It will also be seen that as the fish trap (it) passes the upper edge of the entrance portal the barriers or swinging grilles (22) will assume a position with respect to the segmental gate members (t) to eiectively screen the top and bot-om of the trap, as clearly shown in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

l.. The combination with a sh lock construction, and a sh lift operating in the lock,V of a fish trap supported by the lift and adapted to cooperate with an entrance opening formed in the lock construction, said trap comprising a pair of barriers arranged to form a passage converging from the entrance portal to the interior of the lock, said passage terminating in a restricted iish outlet, a ceiling and ooring in connection with the barriers and means associated with the top and bottom of the sh trap and adjacent the entrance to the converging passage to prevent passage of fish above and below the fish trap.

2. The combination with a sh lock construction, and-a sh lift operating in the lock, of a sh The spring loading oi the grilles (22) is accomplished by any suitable means, as for instance by tension spring-V (214).`

trap supported by the lift and adapted to cooperate with an entrance opening formed in the lock construction, said trap comprising a pair of grilled ventrance to the converging passage to prevent passage of fish above and below the sh trap.

3. The combinationwith a lock structure including a downstream wall having an entrance opening, of a fish lift operating in the lock structure and a fish trap mounted upon the lift, said trap comprising a plurality of walls arranged to provide convergent passages terminating in rel stricted outlets, floor and ceiling structures in connection with the walls and a pair of vertically spaced spring actuated pivotally mounted barriers afliXed to the upper and lower portions of the walls adjacent the entrance to said converging passages.

4. The combination with a lock structure including a downstream wall having an entrance opening, of a fish lift operating in the lock structure and a sh trap pivotally mounted upon the lift, said trap comprising a plurality of grilled walls arranged to provide convergent passages terminating in restricted outlets, grilled cor and ceiling structures in connection with the walls and a pair of vertically spaced spring actuated pivotally mounted barriers affixed to the upper and lower portions of the walls adjacent the entrance v to said converging passages.

5. The combination with a lock structure including a downstream wall having a gate controlled entrance opening, of a sh trap operating in the lock structure and'including a plurality of grilled walls arranged to provide passageways converging from the entrance portal of the lock and terminating in restricted outlets, iloor and ceiling structures in connection with the top and bottom portions of the grilled walls, and a pair of vertically spaced grilled barriers pivotally connected to the sh trap and adapted to compensate for variations in contour of the end surface o-f the downstream wall of said lock structure.

LEWIS E. KNERR. 

